Question Time 2012: living in England

What would you consider the pros and cons to living in England versus the USA? I know they speak a kind of English there so how difficult is communication? (Yes, I’m being a smart ass. Gotta do what I do best.) But seriously, what are the major differences. What do you like most and dislike most?

First, to state what should be obvious but often isn’t, at least not to Americans: England is a different country than the United States. It’s a great country, an old nation, and it’s not Merry-Olde-England-Land at Disney World. It’s a modern 21st century country with millennia of history.

Pros: London is one of the world’s great cities. Getting the chance to live there has been wonderful for me and my family. London is Britain’s center of government, culture, and finance: the equivalent of New York City, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles combined. And the UK is two thousand years deep with history, culture, and tradition.

Cons: Two thousand years of history, culture, and tradition can weigh on everybody, making change difficult.

More pros: there’s nothing better for helping you understand your own country than to get away from it for a while. I understand America better now that I’ve seen how the UK lives and works.

More cons: Good Mexican food is almost impossible to find.

I could discuss this all day, but right now it’s time for the Superbowl, and I have to prepare to explain pass interference to our English guest.